


Realigned

by Infie



Series: On The Road [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Conversations, Episode Related, Gen, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 07:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4011265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infie/pseuds/Infie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John heads home after the events of E3.23, and shares his thoughts with Lyla.  Felicity drops by.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Realigned

John turned the key in the deadbolt, feeling unutterably glad to be home. 

"Johnny!" Lyla stood from her seat at the table, holding Sara close. They both smiled at him, though Lyla's face also showed the strain of worry. "We've been watching the news. Is everything contained?" 

He nodded and crossed over to kiss both his ladies. 

"So Oliver was playing the con." She handed Sara over with practiced smoothness and headed for the coffeepot. "Is this where I get to say I told you so?" 

"You can if you want." John sat down and buried his nose in Sara's neck, making her giggle and twist in his arms. "Doesn't excuse a damned thing though." He blew a tiny raspberry against her neck to make her laugh again. "I punched him. It wasn't enough." 

Lyla huffed a little laugh of her own. "What was behind all of this?" 

"Apparently, to become the next Ra's, Oliver would have had to wipe out his hometown." He gestured around them. "Ra's had picked out the method, too." He met her wide eyes unflinchingly. "The Alpha and Omega supervirus." 

"Oh." Lyla set the cup she'd just picked up back on the counter with a thud. From the look on her face she was trying to just keep herself standing. 

"You were a part of trying to capture it the first time?" He guessed with a frown. 

She nodded. "That's the contagion that they were talking about?" She was ghost-white. 

"Palmer's nanites have taken care of it. Guy made himself useful. Who knew?" 

Lyla took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. 'Felicity knew." 

John gave a low mutter and leaned back in the chair, bouncing Sara a little bit to keep her entertained. 

"What happened with Felicity?" Sharp woman, his wife. Didn't miss a thing. 

"Oliver happened." John scrubbed a hand across his face. “They’re going on a road trip.” 

Lyla blinked at him. 

“Yeah, together,” he said. 

She blinked again. “Wow,” she said. “I’m really happy for them. For her.” 

John sighed. “Me too. But…” He paused and shook his head. “For the last few years, it’s always been us, you know? When Oliver was gone, it was Felicity and me, and when he came back it was Oliver and me, and when he went to the League, the things he did…” He gritted his teeth. “And now they’re both going to be gone and I have nowhere to put all of this… anger.” Sara wriggled at his tension and he consciously relaxed his arms, jouncing her gently and setting a kiss against her head. 

“When will they be back?” 

“I don’t know that they will be.” 

Lyla sat down at the table with him, leaning back in her chair. “Wow.” 

A knock at the door startled them both. Lyla rose to get it, giving his shoulder a loving squeeze on the way. 

“Felicity! Come in!” Lyla have her a quick hug and ushered her through the door. “I hear you and Oliver are going on a road trip.” 

Felicity nodded with a smile that lit up her whole face. “Leaving tomorrow morning. Oliver’s packing now,” she said and made her way over to John, bending over to give Sara a kiss and a gentle nose bump. “I know that Oliver talked to you on your way out, and I didn’t want to intrude, but I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to my family.” She slid an arm over his shoulder and gave him a hug and his own kiss on the cheek. She looked back at Sara and her eyes got misty. “She’s going to forget all about me.” 

“I have pictures,” Lyla told her with a smile, setting a cup of coffee in front of one of the open seats. Felicity took the invitation and sat. 

“And we can Skype,” Felicity nodded with a watery smile. 

“I’m glad for you guys,” John said suddenly. 

Felicity’s blindingly happy smile emerged again. “Thank you. I mean, we have a lot to work out. I can’t just forget everything that happened, you know? But John, I wanted this for so long and it’s been such a hard year. We thought he was _dead_. I just…” She met his eyes steadfastly. “I couldn’t bear to waste a second on being angry when I could be happy instead.” 

He nodded slowly. “I’ll miss you, Felicity.” 

“We’ll miss you,” Lyla corrected, reaching to take Felicity’s hand. “So much.” 

“I love you guys.” She looked at them all for a long moment as if taking a mental picture to take with her. “I should get going. Oliver will be getting to my place soon.” She blushed at the knowing grin Lyla gave her. “He doesn’t want to waste any time either,” she said, and stood. “One more thing,” she started and bit her lip. 

John cuddled Sara close against his shoulder and looked up at her with a sigh. “Go ahead.” 

“I’m not going to try to say or do anything to defend Oliver, because you know how I feel about all of that,” Felicity said slowly, and John nodded, forcing himself to keep listening. “But I want you to consider one thing.” She bit her lip again, clearly considering the right way to say what she had on her mind. “Roy isn’t here, and Laurel isn’t ready to lead the team, and Thea has just decided to suit up.” She smiled at him. “Oliver is leaving _his baby sister_ to start her life as a vigilante, with you, John. And it was less than a month ago that he almost lost her. I can’t imagine a greater gesture of trust from him than that.” 

John swallowed hard and stood. Lyla was at his side immediately to take Sara, understanding without words. “Thank you, Felicity,” he said and enveloped her in a bear hug that she returned with tearful enthusiasm. “Please,” he said when his throat had cleared a little. “ _Be happy_. You… You both deserve it.” 

She nodded against his chest and reluctantly withdrew, laughing a little when her phone buzzed. “I think he made it to my place,” she said as it buzzed again. 

“Go on,” John told her, walking her the rest of the way to the door. “We'll be here when you get back. The road awaits.” 

“I'm ready for it,” she said with a grin, and left.

**Author's Note:**

> It really bothered me that Felicity didn't say goodbye to John. I mean, I understand the need for the Oliver & John beat there, but still.


End file.
